Last week, in response to the growing concern about the Zika virus, President Obama requested that Congress allocate more than $1.8 billion to emergency funding to aid in the fight against the rapidly spreading virus. Obama is using the money to expand mosquito control programs, expedite the development of a vaccine, develop diagnostic tests, and increase support given to low-income pregnant women. He proposes to give the Department of Health and Human Services $1 billion in funding to create educational programs, improve laboratories, and put together rapid response teams. Puerto Rico would be given $250 million for extra Medicaid, and $200 million would fund research and development of vaccines and medical tests. The U.S. Agency for International Development is to receive the remaining $335 million to provide healthcare training, increase research, and repellent to pregnant women in the affected countries. But Obama wasn’t the only one busy last week. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention raised the alert level to its maximum “to further enhance its response to the outbreak.”

What do you think of President Obama’s request for funding to better fight this outbreak? Do you think he is covering all of the areas that need help?